New York City is full of advertisements and billboards as you know, but a fair chunk of them have not been authorised and thus residents and visitors are submitted to even more advertising which is illegal. Thus pro-humanity campaign group ‘Public Ad Campaign’ have organised a project with many volunteers whom set out this week to white-wash hundreds of illegal ads and then replace them with public art, created by themselves.

Public art: High Five!

It’s a great idea in my opinion as we’re constantly bombarded with commercialisms nowadays and perhaps lack some of the more cultural elements which symbolise what it means to be human.

Public Ad Campaign acts on the assumption that public space and the public's interaction with that space is a vital component of our city's health. By visually altering and physically interacting with the public environment, residents become psychologically invested in their community. 

I’m a huge fan of smart governance and of not just solving problems but turning them to your advantage. This project is one of them and the results are good for everyone. Quite-Banksy-esque.

Source: http://www.woostercollective.com/2009/04/new_york_street_advertising_takeover_bri.html
Public Ad Campaign Website: http://www.publicadcampaign.com/

The United Kingdom has some of the most historical and awe-inspiring Crown Jewels in the world. Treasures that would never, ever, come together in today’s politically fair and correct culture, but fortunately they have done over centuries past, and thus remain for us to cast the greatest dignity and majesty upon our heads of state. Despite the fact the post is hereditary, I believe they do a fantastic job and the fact that they are not elected is perhaps a huge benefit. Taking the messy politics away from the Head of State role allows the country’s representative to keep decorum through political embarrassments that rest with the Prime Minister, and it also grants a careful and considered role to ceremony, charity and cultural work.
Did you know that the Monarchy is one of the UK’s biggest promoters of British business abroad? Many of the junior princes in particular travel often to business conferences around the world, and the price ‘mark’ actually gives tremendous weight to their arguments.

Anyway back to the topic of this blog post… The earliest surviving Crown Jewels date back to the 11th Century, with various elements having been added throughout the centuries, in particular the coronation crown (St. Edward's Crown) and many of the sceptres were added in the 17th Century after the restoration of the Monarchy following melt down of the previous jewels by Oliver Cromwell. (Don’t get me started on him!). In the 19th Century the jewels were added to with elements more suited to the modern age, for example Queen Victoria ordered a lighter crown be made for her coronation due to St. Edward's Crown weighing at over 2kg! This is the crown that has been worn in coronation processions since, however St. Edward's Crown is still used for the seated coronation itself.
Did you know that on the day of a coronation the new Monarch is allowed to wear the crown for several hours during the morning to get used to the weight. It has been said that one palace waiter walked in to see the new Queen Elizabeth II in her dressing gown, having breakfast with the crown on, on her coronation day in 1953.

Also did you know that the Crown Jewels were stolen from Westminster Abbey in 1303 (most items were  recovered but not everything!), and there was another attempt in 1671 when the Irishman Thomas Blood carried out a successful raid of the Jewel House at the Tower of London. Having knocked the jewel keeper on the head with a mallet, he squashed the arches of Charles II’s state crown so as to hide it under his cloak whilst his son started to saw the Sceptre in half! Their friend Robert Perot stuck the Orb down his breeches. Just as they were about to escape, the keeper’s son returned unexpectedly and raised the alarm. Blood was arrested, but no-one’s sure quite why, but ‘the merry monarch’, Charles II, pardoned Blood and in fact gave him a pension! After Blood’s escapade, security was tightened, iron bars replaced the wooden ones around the Regalia, and, from then on, visitors were not allowed to touch the Crown Jewels.

An amazing history, but even that can’t describe their inherent beauty. I am yet to see them for myself; the Tower is next on my list of places to visit in London, having already done many others. I’ve included some images to give a taste.

There are many other interesting facts surrounding the Monarchy which I’ll bring up over time. The diamonds in the crowns themselves are a whole topic. The coronation church and chair in particular.

Webpages of Interest:
http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/stories/crownjewels.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_Jewels_of_the_United_Kingdom

You do have to worry occasionally about Gordon.

The possibilities are endless!

New photo today of the Southern end of the Olympic Park which shows the Stadium at the top which is progressing swiftly.In the centre are the widened and cleaned up waterways. A total transformation to the grotty overgrown and stagnant water of before. Then at the bottom of the photograph is the Aquatics Centre. Progress on its magnificent Zaha Hadid designed roof is going well. The scale is quite deceiving. The stadium will seat around 80,000 people and be complete by 2011.

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/please-go/

The above links to a petition to prompt the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, to resign, via his own website. Quite ironic really but because it’s so simple I think this may actually take off. The amount of signatures is going up by several hundred people per hour and if this rate continues for just a week it will be the largest petition on the site – that could cause some political waves.

I personally believe that it is important to have an election and to introduce a new government, better off a Tory one at the moment, but even a Labour one under new leadership would be able to effectively wipe the slate clean and thus exposing all problems and allowing a solution to be found that will not be tangled up political manoeuvring relating to past decisions and promises.

Thus whatever your political allegiance this could be an important thing to support, if you want what’s best for the country’s economic future.

“Very few people have the time, skill or inclination to create beauty, but we all appreciate it when it presents itself.”

I don’t normally follow these sort of things but I was linked to this video and it’s pretty funny if you know anything about youth behaviour on the internet. The kind of stuff that brought you ‘rofl’ and ‘w00t’ etc. This video takes the mick out of the ‘everyone has an opinion (and a stupid one at that)’ culture. Cool music too!

Well, perhaps… judge for yourself! We stumbled across this tree stump in the Lake District on the way to Aire Force waterfall. I presume it is an art piece; a nice idea actually but it must have taken ages to hammer in all those coins! As you can see my sister was delighted…

Right along-side the Palace of Westminster and Westminster Bridge sits the unusual yet inconspicuous building of Portcullis House. Few people realise what goes on inside or what it’s there for. It is virtually an extension to the Houses of Parliament linked by underground tunnels, and to neighbouring buildings by elevated foot bridges. (Portcullis House is the black building on the left in the image below).

The building has many offices for MPs of all parties on the upper floors, with committee rooms on the first floor which you will have probably seen on TV without realising. These are used for select committee meetings and similar – most recently seen in the background of the infamous apology from 4 bankers as a result of the Credit Crunch. On the ground level there is a very impressive atrium complete with real trees and water features and surrounded by cafés, restaurants and the Parliamentary bookshop. Beneath this there is a very thick slab of concrete to protect the building from the potential of tube bombs from the Circle and District lines of the new Westminster Station which sits directly below. Far below that lies the new Jubilee Line station. Thus if this building started at ground level it would actually come to the height of Big Ben’s clock face!

Did you know that this building was specifically designed to last more than 200 years, using dear materials such as aluminium bronze in the roof and walls, thus making this one of the most expensive office buildings in the world! It works out at about £1million per MP.

If you have a keen eye, next time you’re at Westminster tube station look for the direct tunnel link to the Houses of Parliament. The entrance is located inside the ticket barriers on the Circle Line level.

Hmm, I have to say that I am not impressed with the protestors at today’s G20 demonstrations in the City.

“Money is for losers”, “Property is theft”, people hailing the death of Canary Wharf and the rise of Power to the People. Are these people deluded? I understand that many of the people protesting aren’t anarchists etc but there are a lot who are and it’s a real shame that they are so confused with reality. Although the banking system has collapsed now for many, many years it has helped lift people out of poverty, has made us all wealthier, has regained Britain’s power status and brought much talent and investment to the UK. OK it’s had a problem, but we can solve it. Their alternative I doubt they would even want if it happened in reality.

Plus what is it with stupid protestors violently smashing windows at the Royal Bank of Scotland?! That back is majority owned by the tax payer now and thus effectively they will have to pay for their own damage through higher taxes!

I wouldn’t say this is Financial Fool’s Day – more like Protesting Fool’s Day.

Hey all, busy busy busy! About to head back up North to spend Easter with my family in Warwick. This weekend though I’m going for my first visit to the Lake District. Have driven through before but never stayed there so it should be fun. Reason to go is for my father’s 50th birthday which is actually tomorrow.

Will report back with some photos hopefully, oh, and Happy April Fools Day! This isn’t one of them!